’09 Luxe Gift Guide!

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens…
Brown paper packages tied up with strings…
These are a few of my favorite things…”

Christmas is my favorite time of year. Especially since I no longer live in the Midwest. No more trudging through the snow and waiting in long lines at the cash wrap for me! Gosh the Holidays in California are the most civilized! Gorgeous weather, access to the best, hippest things and these days, with on-line retailers offering free shipping and deep discounts, you don’t even have to leave the house unless you really want to.

Here are 5 gift ideas that are guaranteed to delight, awe and warm the heart of even the most grumpy Scrooge:
SEASON’S GREETINGS CAKES – BAKE ME A WISH: Everyone loves cake. Everyone. And what better way to send love and warmth to friends, family and maybe yourself than a Bake Me A Wish gourmet cake? You may have heard of Bake Me A Wish, it’s the bakery where President Obama purchased a Valentines gift for Michelle. Located in New Your City, BMAW uses only the freshest ingredients. What’s coolest about this bakery is 5% of each order is contributed to Bake Me A Wish!’s Operation: Birthday Cake, which, with their partner Soldier’s Angels, donates birthday cakes each month to soldiers overseas. It’s a tasty, tasteful gift that gives and gives.
FRANKINCENSE, MYRRH & GOLD CANDLE TRIO – FRESH: This limited edition collection of petite candles fills your home with season-inspired fragrance. Candles are always a welcome gift for men or women and these are as welcome as the three wise men. The set comes in a ready-to-gift artisan box and includes Gold a warm, soft fragrance that evokes the shimmer of precious metal, Frankincense an earthy scent, full of woodsy notes and a hint of exotic incense and Myrrh a fruity scent with wild berry notes inspired by the forest.
CASHMERE RUFFLE WRAP ROBE – UNDREST: Designed by Maria Paz Navales, Undrest is a Los Angeles produced luxury lingerie & swimwear line. The key elements are girly, feminine details, comfortable fit and high-end fabrics like supima cotton, silk and cashmere. The entire line is produced in-house in their Los Angeles atelier/warehouse. Undrest also donates surplus cotton to organizations that create blankets for children living with cancer.
STANLEY KUBRICK’S NAPOLEON: THE GREATEST MOVIE NEVER MADE – TASCHEN: It’s acknowledged by film buffs that Stanley Kubrick was one of the world’s greatest directors. Before his death, Kubrick was slated to begin filming an epic telling of Napoleon immediately after the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Here is a peak inside the genius and madness of a master film-maker. Tucked inside of a carved-out book are all the elements from Kubrick’s archives that readers need to imagine what his unmade film about the emperor might have been like. The coolest thing about this book? There are several actual script drafts with the directors hand-written notes. This collectors edition is limited to only 1,000 numbered copies.CASCADE LANCASHIRE CHANDELIER – NEIMAN MARCUS: This is fantastic. For the home that has everything, British artist Michelle Brand has created a sustainable art chandelier that is absolutely beyond. Yes this work of art is made from recycled materials. With a personal and professional commitment to reduce-reuse-recycle, Michelle discovered that if she placed a cut just right, the natural shape of a flower appeared out of the base of a plastic soda bottle. She built the Cascade Lancashire using 366 plastic bottles from the landfill. Each bottle was then carefully washed, dried, hand trimmed, and hand sanded. The result? A waterfall of light that measures five feet long and two feet in diameter. Fabulous!

There they are, 5 fabulous gifts to make someone’s holidays very merry. Did you notice that many of them are gifts that keep on giving to the less fortunate? Happy Holidays readers. May your celebrations be joyous and your holidays be filled with love and light (and maybe a fancy new chandelier).